For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,755 issued to Michael Walsh discloses a soft count tracking system for a currency operated host gaming machine. This soft count tracking system comprises an identification adapter provided with an integral active electronic component adapted to store a unique serial number, means for placing the identification adapter in data communication with the host machine, a currency note validator with microcontroller, means for placing the currency note validator in data communication with the identification adapter for interrogating the identification adapter for identification number, a storage mechanism that includes integral nonvolatile storage memory means, and means for placing the storage mechanism in data communication with the currency note validator thereby to receive and hold information from the identification adapter, and a soft count supervisor adapted to be placed in detachable data communication with the memory means to interrogate and extract data from the same. The soft count supervisor comprises a computer, including software means to provide spread sheet data manipulation of the data extracted from the memory means. This system, however, is disadvantageous in that it involves a complicated structural system that may sometimes induce malfunction because the system requires an on-line connection of a host computer, a validator and a stacker to transfer necessary information therebetween via conversion software.
An object of the present invention is to provide a bill handling apparatus and a method for transmitting code information for identifying a bill handling apparatus from which a stacker is recovered. Another object of the present invention is to provide a bill handling apparatus and a method for transmitting bill information capable of collating an amount of collected bills in a plurality of stackers with an amount of bills considered genuine and stored in the stackers without connection of the validators to any control host computer. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bill handling apparatus that comprises a validator and a stacker removably attached to the validator to transmit necessary information from a control circuit in the validator to an intelligent storage in the stacker in non-contact communication between the control circuit and intelligent storage.